Grain-door for freight-cars.



G. H. SALTSGIVER & J. H. BURKE.

GRAIN 1300?. FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.21, 1913.

m Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTOH EV G. H. SALTSGIVER & J. H. BURKE.

GRAIN DOOR FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.21.1913. v 1 1 11$ 8 Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETS" SHEET 2.

WWII/[172 M 1 III] W NESSES: lllll/E/VTOR EHEALTEG/ VH7 w M L/ HBZ/H/(EA TTOHEY ioiwiirn ra a r lil GEORGE E. SALTSGIVER AND JOHN H. BURKE, 30FSIOUX. NEBRASKA? GRAIN-DOOR FOR FREIGHT-CABS.

Application filed October 21, 1913. Serial No. 796,462.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE H. SALTscrvnu andJOHN H. BURKE, both citizens of the United States, and residents of thecity of Sioux, in the county of Dakota and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Doors forFreight-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grain-doors for freight cars. 1

The invention has for its primary object the construction of an improveddoor for freight cars employed in the transportation of grain or othermaterials which are of like nature and usually loaded in bulk.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device of thisclass which may be easily raised" and swung laterally, yet which isthoroughly efiicient and secure in closed position. i

A further object is the provision in a device of this class of improvedoperating means requiring the application of comparatively little power.

A still further object of the invention is the construction of a graindoor which is inexpensive in both manufacture and maintenance yet stableand durable.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention, consisting in theconstruction, combination and novel arrangement of parts, will be fullyunderstood from the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings which form a part of this application and in whichlike characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, of which- Figure 1 is an inside elevation of a deviceconstructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same, the supporting shaft being shown in section; Fig. 3 is afragmentary elevation of the door as viewed from the outer side; Fig. 1is a vertical section of the supporting shaft and members associatedtherewith; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the bracket; Fig. 6 is aninverted plan view of ratchet mechanism which may be substituted for thecrank-operating means; Fig. 7 is a side clevation of the same attachedto the sill of a car; and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a car withthe device of our invention mounted therein.

The invention contemplates, broadly, a

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan.191ti.

door which normally embraces the door frame and 18 supported by bracketswhich are threaded upon a vertically-disposed shaft rotatably-mountedwithin the car whereby the door may be swungnlaterally upon, or movedlongitudinally of the shaft by rotation of the latter, all of which willpresently be made clear.

Although we haveillustrated and herein described an embodiment suitablefor practicing the invention, we would not be understood as beinglimited to the specific structure selected for illustration, for,without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, variousmodifications and alterations may be made in the construction andarrangement of the several parts. i

Referring now to the illustrations, the door, 11, preferably constructedof sheetmetal, is suitably secured at one edge, as by rivets, 12, to anupright bar, 13, the ends of which are bent at right-angles and formhorizontal arms, 14, which inclose a shaft, 15, which has threadedengagement with the upper arm, ll, and is journaled in suitablebearings, 16 and 17, mounted in the ceiling and floor of the car, 18 and19, respectively.

Intermediate the lower bracket member, 14, and the bearing, 17, theshaft is provided with a stop, 20, which serves to prevent downwarddisplacement of the shaft.

The lower bearing may extend below the car body if desired and beprovide-i with a transverse bore, 21, ada ted to register with a similarbore, 22, in the shaft, for admission of a seal, 23, commonlv used uponcardoors, and which will prevent rotation of the shaft.

The lower end of the shaft is provided with suitable means for impartingrotation thereto, which means may be a crank, as 24:; or, in order tolessen the power required, a pinion, 25, may be mounted upon the lowerend of the shaft, which is engaged by spurgear, 26, rotatably-mountedupon a bolt, 27, secured by a nut, 28, within a flanged bushing, 29,secured by screws, 30, within the floor of the car. Upon the bolt, 27,is fulcrumed a lever, 31, equipped with a double pawl, 32, which ispivotally-secured at its center to the lever. A torsion spring, 33, oneend of which is secured to the outer edge of the pawl at a pointequidistant from either toe thereof; and the opposite end of which issecured to the lever at a point alined with the pivot of the pawl andthe axis of the spur-gear, serves to maintain either toe of the pawl inengagement with the spur-wheel. It is now clear that upon vibratorymovement of the lever, the pawl and gears will coact in rotating theshaft, 15, whereby the door will be raised or lowered, according aswhich toe of the pawl is engaged.

In order to relieve somewhat the pressure of the cars contents againstthe door, and thus facilitate the raising of the door, a small opening,as at 34, may be provided in the door, which opening is normally-closedby a suitable door, 35, slidably secured adj acent the outer side of thedoor proper; and through which opening a portion of the contents may bepermitted to escape prior to raising the door.

As some structures with which the device of our invention are loadedover half full, We provide an extension 36, which is hingedly-secured tothe upper edge of the door, and, when not supported by the carscontents, will swing downwardly and inwardly, whereby the door may beraised sufficiently to clear the load when swung into the positionindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8.

The great -majority of grain-doors familiar in the prior art, aresupported in open position from the roofs of the cars. Obviously, theoperation of such devices is diflicult and requires the presence of theoperator within the car. Furthermore, many serious accidents haveoccurred due to the doors being accidentally released from theirsupports.

Not alone does the superiority of the present invention reside in theremoval of the defects recited above, but also in the simplicity,durability and inexpensiveness of manufacture.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

The combination with a car having a doorway therein and a door tonormally embrace theinner side thereof, of an upright shaft rotatablymounted at one side thereof and threaded a portion of its length, saiddoor having arms inclosing said shaft, one of said arms engaging thethreaded portion of said shaft, and means for rotating said shaftwhereby the door may be raised and lowered and swung laterally when thelatter arm reaches the end of the threaded portion.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 10th day ofOctober, 1913, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. SALTSGIVER. JOHN H. BURKE.

Witnesses:

M. S. GRANDALL, BRIDGET BURKE.

r copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

